Horn lifting means for fastener inserting machine

ABSTRACT

Alternative lifting means is provided for the work supporting horn of a fastener inserting machine so that the horn may be vertically adjusted readily whenever the nature of the work being supported does not allow such adjustment in normal fashion, as when the heel of a boot is being supported and the bottleg covers the normally exposed horn structure against access.

United States Patent Wright et al. 9

[s41 HORN LIFIING MEANS FOR FASTENER INSERTING- MACHINE [72] Inventors:John G. Wright; James M. Chafin,

both of Atlanta, Ga.

[73] Assignee: Textrun Inc Providenee, R1.

[22] Filed: Feb. [7, i971 21 Appl. No.: 116,077

52 us. (:1. ..269/58 51 Im, Cl. ..B23q 3/8 581 Field'ofSearch..269/212,207,165,55,58,

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,191,682 7/1916 Finch"221/155 X 1151 3,685,815 1 51 Aug. 22, 1972 1,852,152 4/1932 Dingeldey..227/154X 3,464,615 9/1969 Graff; ..227/154 Primary Examiner-'I'heronE. Condon Assistant Examiner-Eugene F. Desmond Allorney-Channing L.Richards, Dalbert U. Shefte, Francis M. Pickhey and Richards & ShefteABSTRACT Alternative lifting means is provided for the work supportinghorn of a fastener inserting machine so that the horn may be verticallyadjusted readily whenever the nature of the work being supported doesnot allow such adjustment in normal fashion, as when the heel of a bootis being supported and the bottleg covers the normally exposed hornstructure against access.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 9 SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTORS v :ros-m,awmem' a.

muss m. cHAFm ATTORNEYS HORN LIFTING MEANS FOR F ASTENER INSERTINGMACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fastener inserting machines of thesort employed for attaching shoe heels characteristically include avertically adjustable horn for supporting a shoe at the heel portionduring fastener insertion as seen in US. Pats. No. 2,240,429 and No.2,793,364. Both of these patents show a gooseneck form of horn, butother horn forms are used as needed, and particularly axially standinghorns as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,225. The latter SUMMARY OF THEINVENTIONAccording to the present invention an alternatively accessible liftingmeans is associated with the horn structure of a fastener insertingmachine so that upward vertical adjustment of the horn is still readilyaccomplished whenever access for lifting it in normal fashion isobstructed. The alternative lifting means pro-' vided takes the form ofa pull rod spaced in parallel relation to the vertical adjustment axisof the horn and engageable with a lateral arm attached at the lower endof the horn for lifting the same and thereby causing the horn to moveupward through its adjustment range whenever desired. The pull rod isslidably mounted on the fastener inserting machine and is arranged toengage the lateral arm only for lifting the same so as to be free forreturn by gravity to a normally retracted position whenever released andto remain retracted whenever the horn is lifted otherwise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of thearrangement of a horn lifting means embodying the present invention in afastener inserting machine;

FIG. 2 is an exploded side elevation of intermediate parts of the hornstructure; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational detail, partly in section,showing the arrangement of the pull rod for engaging the lateral armattached to the lower end of the horn.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The fastener inserting machineillustrated in FIG. 1 is of the general type shown in the previouslynoted prior US. Pat. No. 3,241,225 by which fasteners are cyclicallyformed from a continuous length of wire and inserted in work to besecured at an operating head 10 that is mounted on an upper framebracket 12 above a shelf 14 that serves as a working surface and formsthe top of a base frame structure 16.

In order to provide adequate space for handling boots (as at B in FIG.1), the base frame structure 16 is lessened in height and the upperframe bracket 12 is lengthened correspondingly to increase the neckdimension at which the operating head 10 is disposed above the shelf 14.Such dimensional modificationof the frame components, however, islimited by disadvantage in raising the operating head 10 appreciablyabove its normal elevation and by restriction of the extent to whichshelf 14 may be lowered and still leave room for the drive'and relatedoperating mechanisms that are housed within the base frame structure 16(compare prior Pat. No. 2,793,364). Accordingly, when boots are beinghandled a considerable percentage of them will have leg portions of suchlength as to interfere .with normal manipulation of the horn structureprovided for supporting the work during fastener insertion, as indicatedgenerally at 18 in FIG. 1.

As in the previously mentioned'prior Pats. No.

2,240,429 and No. 2,793,364, the horn structure 18 is slidably mountedon the fastener inserting machine at the shelf 14 in a flanged sleeve20. A horn bushing 22 is disposed within the sleeve 20 for transmittingupwardly directed work clamping pressure during each fastener insertion,as described at length in the aforementioned prior patents. A horn post24 is received in turn within the bushing 22 and is engaged at a rackstrip 26 thereon (compare FIGS. 1 and 2) by a pawl (not shown) carriedby bushing 22, so that the horn structure 18 is allowed a range ofvertical adjustment, as indicated by the full and broken line positionsin FIG. 1. The top end of the horn post 24 is fitted with a flangemember 28 and with an upwardly projecting axial pin 30 (see FIG. 2) onwhich the particular form of horn to be used is positioned. In thepresently illustrated embodiment, the

horn consists of post extension 32 fitted with a further axial pin 34 atits upper end (see FIG. 2) on which a horn tip member 36 is positionedas seen in FIG. 1.

Vertical adjustment of horn structure 18 is normallyv 4 engagement ofthe horn post rack 26 by the pawl carried on the horn bushing 22, whilethe horn structure 18 will be released for return to its loweredposition by gravity simply upon releasing the .pawl. Usual procedure isto place the work to be handled over the born tip 36 at its loweredposition and then raise the horn structure together with the work intoproper position at the operating head. However, when a boot B is placedover the lowered horn tip 36 the depending leg portion is apt to extenddownwardly far enough to cover the flange member 28 as well, so thatraising of the horn structure to present the supported heel portion ofthe boot B at the operating head 10 is made awkward and troublesome.Subsequent lowering of the horn structure presents no problem becausethe pawl at the horn bushing 22 will be uncovered when the boot B 1 hasbeen raised, but some alternative means is needed the horn structure 18at an extent sufficient to avoid interference from the leg portion of aboot B placed over the horn tip 36. The lateral arm 40 extends incorrespondence with the spacing of the pull rod 42 to present an alignedaperture 44 at its projecting end through which the pull rod 42 extendsto carry a split ring 46 at its lower end for engaging arm 40 at itsbottom face. The result of this arrangement is to equip the pull rod42only for liftingthe lateral arm 40 and thereby causing the hornstructure to move upward through its adjustment range, while leavingthe'pull'rod 42 free for return by gravity to a normally retractedposition whenever released and 'to remain retracted whenever the hornstructure is moved upward otherhorn structure 18 to a proper worksupporting position in this way, the pull rod 42 will drop back bygravityto its retracted position and remain there until needed again.

The present invention has been described above for v purposes ofillustration only and is not intended-to be limited by this descriptionor-otherwise to exclude any variation or equivalent arrangement thatwould'be a'pparent from, or reasonably suggested by, the foregoingdisclosure to the skill of the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fastener inserting machine of the type including a verticallyadjustable horn for supporting work during fastener insertion, theimprovement which comprises a lateral arm attached at the lower end ofsaid horn, and a pull rod disposed in spaced parallel relation to saidhorn and engageable with said lateral arm for lifting the same andthereby causingsaid horn to move upward through its adjustment rangewhenever desired.

2. In a fastener inserting machine, the improvement defined in claim 1and further characterized in that said v horn is slidably mounted onsaid machine for vertical installed concentrically thereat to fit thepull rod diameter more closely and thereby dampen any lateral vibrationtendency of the lower pull rod end during operation of the fastenerinserting machine.

As thus arranged, the pull rod 42 is always available for lifting thehorn structure 18 when needed. Ordinarily the pull rod 42 remains at theretracted full line position shown in FIG. 1, and allows the hornstructure 18 to be manipulated in normal fashion whenever that ispossible.- When it is not possible, the pull rod knob 48 is adjacentlyavailable for grasping to raise pull rod 42 to the broken line FIG. 1position and thereby lift lateral arm 40 and move horn structure 18upwardly as also indicated by broken lines in FIG. 1. After moving theadjustment and has an axial form and extent suited for adjustment tosupport the heel of a boot for fastener insertion while receiving theleg of the boot thereover above said slidable mounting,'and in that saidpull rod is spaced from said homsufficiently to avoid interfer ceb saidtle f. n a asten ei inse rung machine, the lmprovement defined in claim2 and further characterized in that said pull rod is also slidablymounted on said machine and is arranged for engaging said lateral armonly for lifting the same so as to be free for return by gravity to anormally retracted position whenever released and to remain retractedwhenever said horn is moved upward otherwise.

' a: a: r

1. In a fastener inserting machine of the type including a verticallyadjustable horn for supporting work during fastener insertion, theimprovement which comprises a lateral arm attached at the lower end ofsaid horn, and a pull rod disposed in spaced parallel relation to saidhorn and engageable with said lateral arm for lifting the same andthereby causing said horn to move upward through its adjustment rangewhenever desired.
 2. In a fastener inserting machine, the improvementdefined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said horn isslidably mounted on said machine for vertical adjustment and has anaxial form and extent suited for adjustment to support the heel of aboot for fastener insertion while receiving the leg of the bootthereover above said slidable mounting, and in that said pull rod isspaced from said horn sufficiently to avoid interference by saidbootleg.
 3. In a fastener inserting machine, the improvement defined inclaim 2 and further characterized in that said pull rod is also slidablymounted on said machine and is arranged for engaging said lateral armonly for lifting the same so as to be free for return by gravity to anormally retracted position whenever released and to remain retractedwhenever said horn is moved upward otherwise.